Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 3/The fourth Voyage
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor.
THE Pleaſures, ſays he, and the Divertiſements I took after my Third Voyage, had not Charms enough to divert me from another. I was again prevailed upon by my Paſſion for Traffick, and Curioſity to ſee new Things, I therefore put my Affairs in order, and having provided a Stock of Goods fit for the Places where I deſigned to trade, I ſet out on my Journey. I took the Way of Perſia, of which travelled ſeveral Provinces, and then arrived at a Port where I embarked. We ſet Sail, and having touched at ſeveral Ports of Terra Firma, and ſome of the Eaſtern Iſlands, we put out to Sea, and were ſeized by ſuch a ſudden Guſt of Wind, as obliged the Captain to furl his Sails, and to make all other neceſſary Precautions to prevent the Danger that threatned us. But all was in vain, our Endeavours took no Effect, the Sails were tore in a thouſand pieces, and the Ship was ſtranded, ſo that a great many of the Merchants and Seamen were drown and the Cargo loſt.
Scheherazade, perceiving Day, held her Peace, but re- ſumed the Story next Night, as follows.
The Seventy Ninth Night.
I Had the good Fortune, continues Sindbad, with ſeveral of the Merchants and Mariners, to get a Plank, and we were carried by the Current to an Iſland which lay before us. There we found Fruit and Fountain-Water, which preſerved our Lives, We ſtaid all Night near the Place where the Sea caſt us aſhore, without confulting what we fhould do, our Misfortune had diſ-ſpirited us ſo much.
Next Morning, as ſoon as the Sun was up, we walked from the Shore, and advancing into the Iſland, ſaw ſome Houſes, to which we went; and as ſoon as we came thither, we were encompaſſed by a great Number of Blacks, who ſeized us, ſhared us among ’em, and carried us to their reſpective Habitations.
I and Five of my Comrades were carried to one Place; they made us fit down immediately, and gave us a certain Herb, which they made ſigns for us to eat. My Comrades not taking notice that the Blacks eat none of it themſelves conſulted only the Satisfying of their own Hunger, and fell a eating with Greedineſs. But, I ſuſpecing ſome Trick, would not ſo much as taſte it, which happened well for me; for in a little time after I perceived my Companions had loſt their Senſes and that, when they ſpoke to me they knew not what they ſaid.
The Blacks fed us afterwards with Rice, prepared with Oil of Cocoes, and my Comrades, who had loſt their Reaſon, eat of it greedily. I eat of it alſo, but very ſparingly. The Backs gave us that Herb at firſt, on purpoſe to deprive us of our Senſes, that we might not be aware of the ſad Deſtiny prepared for us, and they gave us Rice on purpole to fatten us, for, being Canibals, their Deſign was to eat us as ſoon as we grew fat. They did accordingly eat my Comrades, who were not ſenlible of their Condition. But my Senſes being entire, you may eaſily gueſs, Gentlemen, that inſtead of growing fat, as the reſt did, I grew leaner every Pay. The Fear of Death, under which I laboured, turned all my Food into Poiſon, fell into a languiſhing Diſtemper, which proved my Satety; for the Blacks having killed and eat up my Companions, ſeeing me to be wither’d, lean and ſick, deferred my Death till another time.
Mean while, I had a great deal of Liberty, ſo that there was ſcarce any notice taken of what I did, and this gave me an Opportunity one Dy to get at a diſtance from the Houſes, and to make my Eſcape. An old Man, who ſaw me, and ſuſpectce my Delign, called to me as loud as he could to return; but inſtead of obeying him, I redoubled my pace and quickly got out of his ſight. At that time there was none but the oſd Man about the Houſes, the reſt being abroad, and not to come home till Night, which was pretty uſual with them. Therefore, being ſure that they could not come home time enough to purſue me, I went on till Night, that I ſtopt to reſt a little, and to eat ſome of the Proviſions that I had taken care for, but I ſpeedily ſet forward again, and travelled ſeven Days, avoiding thoſe Places which ſeemed to be inhabited; and lived for the moſt part upon Coco Nuts, which ſerved me both for Meat and Drink. On the eighth Day I came near the Sea, and ſaw all of a ſudden white People like my ſelf gathering of Pepper, of which there was great Plenty in that Place; this I took to be a good Omen, and went to them without any Scruple. Scheherazade broke off here, and went on with the Story next Night, as follows.
The Eightieth Night.
THE People who gathered Pepper, continued Sindbad, Came to meet me, as ſoon as they ſaw me and ask’d me in Arabick who I was, and whence I came? I was overjoy’d to hear them ſpeak in my own Language, and willingly ſatisfied their Curioſity, by giving them an Account of my Shipwreck and how I fell into the Hands of the Blacks. Thoſe Blacks, replied they, eat Men, and by what Miracle did you eſcape their Cruelty? I told them the ſame Story I now told you, at which they were wonderfully ſurprized.
I ftaid with them till they had gathered their Quantity of Pepper, and then ſailed with them to the Iſland from whence they came. They preſented me to their King, who was a good Prince, he had the Patience to hear the Relation of my Adventure, which ſurprized him and he afterwards gave me Cloaths, and commanded Care to be taken of me.
The Iſland was very well peopled, plentiful of every thing, and the Capital was a Place of great Trade. This agreeable Place of Retreat was very comfortable to me after my Misfortune and the Kindneſs of this generous Prince towards me compleated my Satisfaction. In a Word, there was not a Perſon more in Favour with him than my ſelf, and by Conſequence every Man in Court and City ſought how to oblige me, ſo that in a very little time I was looked upon rather as a Native than a Stranger.
I obſerved one thing which to me look’d very extraordinary, all the People, the King himſelf not excepted, rode their Horſes without Bridle or Stirrups. This made me one Day take the liberty to ask the King how that came to paſs? His Majeſty anſwered, That I talked to him of Things which no, body knew the Uſe of in his Dominions.
I went immediately to a Workman, and gave him a Model for making the ſtock of a Saddle. When that was done, I covered it my ſelf with _____ and Leather, and embroidercd it with Gold. I afterwards went to a Lock-fmith, who made me a _____ according to the Pattern I ſhewed him, and then he made me alſo ſome Stirrups. When I had all Things compleated, I preſented them to the King, and put them upon one of his Horſes. His Majeſty mounted immediately, and was ſo mightily pleaſed with them, that he teſtified his ſatisfaction by large Preſents to me. I could not avoid making ſeveral others for his Miniſters and principal Officers of his Houſhold, who all of them made me Preſents that enriched me in a little time. I alſo made for the People of beſt Quality in the City, which gained me great Reputation and Regard from every Body.
As I made my Court very exactly to the King, he ſays to me one Day, Sinbad, I love thee, and all my Subjects who know thee treat thee according to my Example. I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou muſt grant. Sir, anſwer’d I, there’s nothing but what I will do, as a Mark of my Obedience to your Majeſty, whoſe Power over me is abſolute. I have a mind thou ſhouldſt marry, replies he, that ſo thou mayſt ſtay in my Dominions and think no more of thy own Country, I dared not reſiſt the Prince’s Will, and fo he gave me of the Ladies of his Court, a noble, beautiful, chaſteand rich Lady. The Ceremonies of Marriage being over, I went and dwelt with the Lady, and for ſome time we lived together in perfect Harmony. I was not, however, very well ſatisfied with my Condition, and therefore deſigned to make my Eſcape on the firſt Occaſion, and to return to Bagdad, which my preſent ſettlement how advantageous ſoever, could not make me forget.
While I was thinking on this, the Wife of one of my Neighbours, with whom I had contracted a very ſtrict Friendſhip, fell ſick and died. I went to ſee and comfort him in his Affliction, and finding him fwallowed up with ſorrow; I ſaid to him as ſoon as I ſaw him, God preſerve you and grant you a long Life. Alas! replies he, how do you think I ſhould obtain that Favour you wiſh me? I have not above an Hour to live. Pray, ſay I, don’t entertain ſuch a melancholy Thought, I hope it will not be fo, but that I ſhall enjoy your Company for many Years. I wiſh you, ſays he, a long Life, but for me, my Days are at an end, for I muſt be buried this Day with my Wife. This is a Law which our Anceſtors eſtabliſhed in this Iſland, and always obſerved it inviolably. The living Husband is interred with the dead Wife, and the living Wife with the dead Husband. Nothing can ſave me, every one muſt ſubmit to this Law.
While he was entertaining me with an Account of this barbarous Cuſtom, the very Hearing of which frightned me cruelly, his Kindred, Friends, and Neighbours came in a Body to aſſiſt at the Funerals. They put on the Corps the Woman’s richeſt Apparel, as if it had been her wedding Day, and dreſſed her with all her Jewels, then they put her into an open Coffn, and lifting it up, began their March to the Place of Burial. The Husband walked at the Head of the Company, and followed the Corps. They went up to a high Mountain, and when they came thither, took up a great Stone which covered the Mouth of a very deep Pit, and let down the Corps with all its Apparel and Jewels. Then the Husband, embracing his Kindred and Friends, ſuffered himſelt to be put into another open Coffin without Reſiſtance, with a Pot of Water, and ſeven little Loaves, and was let down in the ſame manner they let down his Wife. The Mountain was pretty long, and reached to the Sea. The Ceremony being over, they covered the Hole again with the Stone, and returned.
It’s needleſs, Gentlemen, for me to tell you that I was the only melancholy Spectator of this Funeral, whereas the reſt were ſcarcely moved at it, the Thing was ſo cuftomary to them. I could not forbear ſpeaking my Thoughts of this Matter to the King. Sir, ſays I, I cannot enough admire at the ſtrange Cuſtom in this Country, of burying the Living with the Dead, I have been a great Traveller, and ſeen many Countries, but never heard of ſo cruel a Law. What do you mean, Sindbad, ſays the King, ’tis a common Law? I ſhall be interr’d with the Queen, my Wife, if ſhe die firſt. But Sir, ſays I, may I preſume to demand of your Majeſty, If Strangers be obliged to obſerve this Law? Without doubt, replies the King, ſmiling at the occaſion of my Queſtion, they are not excepted if they be married in this Iſland.
I went home very melancholy at this Anſwer, for the Fear of my Wife’s Dying firſt, and that I ſhould be interr’d alive with her, occaſion’d me to have very mortifying Reflections. But there was no Remedy, I muſt Fave Patience, and ſubmit to the Will of God. I trembled however at every little indiſpoſition of my Wife; but alas! In a time my Fears came upon me all at once; for ſhe fell ſick and died in a few Days.
Scheherazade ſtopt here for that time, and reſum’d the thread of her Story next Night thus,
The Eighty Firft Night.
YOU may judgeat my Sorrow, continues Sindbad; to be interr’d alive ſeem’d to me as deplorable an end as to be devour’d by Canibals. But I muſt ſubmit, the King and all his Court would honour the Funeral with their Preſence, and the moſt conſiderable People of the City did the like. When all was ready for the Ceremony, the Corps was put into the Coffin with all her Jewels and magnificent Apparel. The Cavalcade was begun, and as ſecond Actor in this doleful Tragedy, I went next the Corps, with my Eyes full of Tears, bewailing my deplorable Fate. Before I came to the Mountain, I made an Eſſay on the Minds of the Spectators, I addreſt my ſelf to the King in the firſt place, and then to all thoſe who were round me, and bowing before them to the-Earth, to kiſs the Border of their Garments, I pray’d them to have Compaſſion upon me. Conſider, ſaid I, that I am a Stranger, and ought not to be ſubject to this rigorous Law, and that I have another Wife and Children in my own. Country, [1]It was to no purpoſe for me to ſpeak thus; no Soul was moved at it; on the contrary, they made haſte to let down my Wife’s Corps into the Pit, and to put me down the next Moment in an open Coffin, with a Veſſel full of Water, and ſeven Loaves, In ſhort, the ſatal Ceremony being perform’d, they covered up the Mouth of the Pit, notwithſtanding the Exceſs of my Grief, and my lamentable Cries.
As I came near the Bottom, I diſcover’d by help of the little Light that came from above, the Nature of this ſubterranean Place; it was a vaſt long Cave, and might be about 50 Fathom deep. I immediately ſmelt an inſufferable ſtench, proceeding from the Multitude of dead Corps, which I ſaw on the Right and Left, nay, I fancy’d that I heard ſome of them ſigh out their laſt. However, when I got down, I immediately left my Coffin, and getting at a diſtance from the Corps, held my Noſe, and lay down upon the Ground, where I ſtaid a long time, bath’d in Tears. Then reflecting on my ſad Lot, it is true, ſaid I, that God diſpoſes all Things according to the Decrees of his Providence; but, poor Sindbad, art not thou thy ſelf the Cauſe of thy being brought to die ſo ſtrange a Death. Would to God thou hadſt periſh’d in ſome of thoſe Tempeſts which thou haſt eſcap’d! Then thy Death had not been ſo lingring and terrible in all its Circumſtances. But thou haſt drawn all this upon thy ſelt by thy curſed Avarice. Ah unfortunate Wretch! Shouldſt thou not rather have ſtaid at home, and quietly enjoy’d the Fruit of thy Labour.
Such were the vain Complaints with which I made the Cave to eccho, tearing my Head and Stomach out of Rage and Deſpair, and abandoning my ſelf to the moſt afficting Thoughts. Nevertheleſs I muſt tell ye, that inſtead of calling Death to my Aſſiſtance in that miſerable Condition, I felt till an Inclination to live, and to do all I could to pro-long my Days. I went groping about with my Noſe ſtopt for the Bread and Water that was in my Coffin, and took ſome of it. Tho’ the Darkneſs of the Cave was fo great, that I could not diſtinguiſh Day and Night, yet I always found my Coffin again, and the Cave ſeem’d to be more ſpacious and fuller of Corps than it appear’d to me at firſt. I liv’d for ſome Days upon my Bread and Wine, which being ali ſpent, at laſt I prepar’d for Death. At theſe words Scheherazade left off but reſum’d the Story next Night thus.
The Eighty Second Night.
AS I was thinking of Death, continued Sindbad, I heard the Stone lifted up from the Mouth of the Cave, and immediately the Corps of a Man was let dowyn. When Men are reduc’d to Extremities, it’s natural for them to come to extream Reſolutions. While they let down the Woman, I approach’d the Place, where her Coffin was to be put, and as ſoon as I perceiv’d they were covering again the Mouth of the Cave, I gave the unfortunate Wretch two or three great Blows over the Head with a large Bone that I found, which ſtunned, or to ſay the Truth kill’d her. I committed this inhuman Action meerly for the fake of her Bread and Water that was in her Coffin, and thus I had Proviſions for ſome Days more. When that was ſpent, they let down another dead Woman, and a live Man; I kill’d the Man in the ſame manner; and, as good Luck would have it for me, there was then a ſort of Mortality in Town, ſo that by this Means I did not want for Proviſions.
One Day, as I had diſpatch’d another Woman, I heard ſomething walking, and blowing or panting as it walked. I advanc’d towards that ſide from whence I heard the Noiſe, and upon my Approach the thing puffed and blew harder, as if it had been running away from me. I followed the Noiſe, and the thing ſeem’d to ſtop ſometimes, but always fled and blew as I approach’d. I follow’d it ſo long, and ſo ſar, till at laſt I perceiv’d a Light, reſembling a Star. I went on towards that Light, and ſometimes loſt ſight of it, but always found it again, and at laſt dilcover’d that it came thro’ a Hole in the Rock, large enough for a Man to get out at.
Upon this, I ſop’d ſometime to reſt my ſelf, being much ſatigu’d with purſuing this Diſcovery ſo ſaſt: Afterwards coming up to the Hole, I went out at it, and found my ſelf upon the Bank of the Sea. T leave you to gueſs at the Exceſs of my Joy, it was ſuch that I could ſcarce perſuade my ſelf its being real.
But when I was recover’d from my Surprize, and convinc’d of the Truth of the Matter, I found the Thing which I had follow’d,and heard it puff and blow, to be a Creature which came out of the Sea, and was accuſtomed to enter at that Hole to feed upon the dead Carcaſſes.
I confiderdthe Mountain, and perceiv’d it to be ſituated betwixt the Sea and the Town, but without any Paſſage or Way to communicate with the latter, the Rocks, on the fide of the Sea, were ſo rugged and ſteep. I fell down upon the Shore to thank God for his Mercy, and afterwards entered the Cave again to fetch Bread and Water, which I did eat by Day-light, with a better Appetite than I had done ſince my interment in the dark Hole,
I return’d thither again, and grop’d about among the Biers for all the Diamonds, Rubies, Pearls, Gold Bracelets, and rich Stuffs I could find; theſe I brought to the Shore, and tying them up neatly into Bales, with the Cords that let down the Coffins, I laid them together upon the Bank, waiting till ſome Ship paſſed by, without any Fear of Rain for it was not then the Seaſon.
After two or three Days I perceived a Ship that had but juſt come out of the Harbour, and paſſed near the Place where I was. I made a Sign with the Linnen of my Turban, and call’d to them as loud as I could: They heard me, and ſent a Sloop to bring me on board. When the Mariners asked by what Misfortune I came thither? I told them that I ſuffer’d Ship-wrack two Days ago, and made ſhift to get aſhore with the Goods they ſaw. It was happy for me that thoſe People did not conſider the Place where I was, nor enquire into the Probability of what I told them, but, without any more ado, took me on board with my Goods. When I came to the Ship, the Captain was ſo well pleas’d to have ſav’d me, and ſo much taken up with his own Aſairs, that he alſo took the Story of my pretended $hipwrack upon truſt, and generouſly refus’d ſome Jewels which I offer’d him.
We paſs’d by ſeveral Iſlands, and among others, that call’d the Ifle of Bells, about ten Days ſail from Serendib, with a regular Wind, and fix from that of Kela, where we landed. This Iſland produces Lead-Mines, Indian-Canes and excellent Camphire.
The King of the Iile of Kela is very rich and potent, and the Iſle of Bells,[2] which is about two Days Journey in Extent, is alſo ſubject to him. The Inhabitants are ſo barbarous that they ſtill eat human Fleſh. After we had finiſh’d our Commerce in that Iſland, we put to Sea again, and touch’d at ſeveral other Ports, at laſt I arriv’d happily at Bagdad with infinite Riches, of which it is needleſs to trouble you with the Detail. Out of Thankfulneſs to God for his Mercies. I gave great Alms for the Entertainment of ſeveral Moſques, and for the Subſiſtence of the Poor, and imploy’d my feif wholly in enjoy my Kindred and Friends, and making good Cheer with them.
Here Sindbad finiſh’d the Relation of his Fourth Voyage, which was more ſurprizing to the Company than all the three former, He gave a new Preſent of 100 Sequins to Hindbad, whom he pray’d to return with the reſt next Day, at the ſame Hour, to dine with him, and hear the Story of his Fifth Voyage. Hindbad and the reſt of the Gueſts took leave of him and retir’d. Next Morning, when they all met they ſat down at Table, and when Dinner was over, Sindbad began at the Relation of his Fifth Voyage, as follows.